Vegan "Chicken" and Dumplings

I grew up in the South and I have this thing about Southern comfort food. I adapted this recipe from something I found somewhere on the internets years ago. I don't remember my mom cooking very much when I was a kid, but I do remember her making the most amazing chicken and dumplings. I did my best to recreate what I could remember that tasting like.

I always get excited when it starts to get cool enough to make stuff like this again. It just doesn't seem right to eat this in the summer and I'm always excited to have it for the first time again each year. This is good 'ol stick to your ribs soup. It's absolutely fantastic for one of those cold fall or winter nights when you want something warm and soupy, but also something hearty.

This post is extra exciting because I finally got a camera. Yes, folks, this is officially the very first digital camera that I have ever owned. I have been borrowing Roman's camera for the longest time. I took these right after getting home from the store, so they're not as good as they will be in the future. I had just stuck the camera on auto and shot. Now that I've read the manual on my awesome new Canon Powershot A720 IS, my picture are going to get better and better. :D Yay!

Also - the veggie broth I was using this time was store-bought and not home-made, that's why it's a little bit yellow. (Or should I say yeller since it's southern. ;) ). I think it was the Pacific Foods Organic Veggie Broth.

Vegan "Chicken" and Dumplings

Dumplings:

1 Cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Egg replacer to replace 2 eggs (I like to use Enger-G Egg Replacer for these)

Mix the soy milk and vinegar together and set aside for at least 5 minutes. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg replacer and soy milk mixture together. Pour the liquid in the dry ingredients and stir gently. Mix just until combined.


2 Tablespoons margarine (like Earth Balance)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Cup carrot, chopped
1/2 Cup celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced (or if you're like me, you'll add 6)
2 bay leaves
1/4 Cup flour
6 Cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy cream (Silk makes a good one. You can use soy milk if you can't find this.)
1 package faux chicken pieces or 1 Cup seitan
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large soup pot, melt the margarine and olive oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tablespoon of flour. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the broth stirring as you add. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the soy cream.

Chop the faux chicken pieces (or seitan) and add it to the broth. Bring the soup up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the soup. Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes until the dumplings are firm and puffy. Grind some fresh pepper on top of each serving.